When you pick up your children from school, you hear “Mami! Le Gouter!” from the children. When you invite your child’s friends over to play, the gouter is ready for 4 PM. Likewise when your children are invited to play at their friend’s houses, they always eat the gouter there too. Usually it is a homemade cake, or crepes …
It gets more complicated if you have the parents coming over for gouter too … But usually the parents coming offer something for the snack, either their freshly made cake still warm out of the oven or something bought at the bakery! The 4 PM witching hour approaches … ”Should we have the gouter? The children must be getting hungry by now!” No wonder in France dinner isn’t until at least 7.30 PM … How could the children eat the cake and dinner so soon afterwards?
Yes, the “Le gouter” experience is quite cultural and must be seen first hand. It is a very disciplined affair, also in the fact that children don’t eat anything between lunch (which is the main meal of the day) until the gouter … The refrigerator is closed. So, when the children do eat that gouter, it better be good!
I remember one time laughing like crazy with one of my friends because we watched a scene after school. A student was going to be dropped off somewhere directly and was going to miss the gouter. This 8-year-old looked at her mum, horrified, and said, “But mummy, WHAT ABOUT THE GOUTER????” OMG … we were laughing, My friend and I … Can’t French children live ONE DAY without the gouter? Apparently not …!
This time no home made cake but I pulled out the store-bought cookies! Bon appetit!
[All photo’s taken by Emily Kornya]
Enola, Madyson and Romane are wearing a dress by Dancing in the Grass and hairpieces by Amour Bows. Ambre is wearing a dress by Iglo+Indi, pom pom hairpiece by La Fete, socks by Collegien and Salt-Water Sandals.
Who wants gouter?! Yes me please!
I’m afraid no home made cake for these girls but store-bought cookies! Bon appetit!
Ambre and Romane.
Due to the weather the girls couldn’t go outside and had a great time playing downstairs in the hallway (until the neighbours came to complain but that’s another story!)
Girls having fun in their dresses by Dancing in the Grass! Enola is wearing yellow sandals by Salt-Water Sandals.
Ambre … Such a sweetie!
Romane, Madyson, Laurelle, Enola all wearing dresses by Dancing in the Grass.
Photography by Emily Kornya, children’s fashion photographer who works throughout Europe. She has recently moved back to Europe after completed her undergraduate degree in English Literature, Russian Literature in translation and South Slavic Studies at The University of Toronto.
Represented by Quai des Blondes in Paris – www.emilykornya.com
